Monday: The President and the First Lady will host former President George H.W. Bush, former First Lady Barbara Bush, and members of the Bush family for an event to honor the winner of the 5,000th Daily Point of Light Award

Tuesday and Wednesday: The President will attend meetings at the White House

Thursday: The President will participate in an ambassador credentialing ceremony at the White House

Friday: The President and the First Lady will host the Diplomatic Corps reception for the Foreign Diplomatic Corps at the White House

* The Obama family plans to vacation on Martha’s Vineyard between August 10 and 18, the White House confirmed yesterday

****

Texas state troopers stand over pro-abortion rights protesters after they were taken from the Texas Senate gallery as the Senate debated an abortion bill

****

Texas Tribune: After impassioned, often personal speeches from lawmakers in both parties noting the emotions that have followed House Bill 2 through the legislative process, the Texas Senate approved the omnibus abortion measure late Friday night.

…. Democrats offered 20 amendments, ranging from proposals to add exceptions to the bill’s 20-week abortion ban for victims of rape and incest to requiring annual inspections of abortion facilities and allowing teen mothers to be excluded from a state law requiring parental consent for family planning services. All were rejected on party-line votes in a debate that lasted until nearly midnight on Friday.

…. Alluding to Democrats’ hope that the passion from opponents of the abortion legislation translates into votes at the ballot box in the coming election cycle, State Sen. Wendy Davis said, “The fight for the future of Texas is just beginning.”

…. A suggestion from Sen. Dan Patrick, R-Houston that senators who voted for the legislation were “listening a little closer” to God than those who opposed it prompted a heated response from Sen. John Whitmire, D-Houston, who told his colleague he had crossed the line.

Texas Tribune: The Texas Department of Public Safety said Friday that officers had discovered more than a dozen jars containing “suspected” feces and urine at the Texas Capitol, the site of an intense debate among state senators over abortion restrictions.

In a press release, the agency offered scant details about the seizures and did not say where the items were taken or what happened to them, prompting abortion rights activists to express doubts about the official account.

…. DPS officers outside the Senate gallery and at each entrance to the Capitol told The Texas Tribune they had not seen or found jars containing feces or urine, and multiple officers throughout the Capitol said they had not heard of any jars being found until a reporter mentioned it. Several officers also said they had not heard anything on the DPS radio system about jars of any excrement.

On social media and in interviews, abortion rights protesters questioned the report, calling it an attempt by DPS to bolster Republican credibility during a contentious debate that has drawn national attention.

Steve Benen: Only a good guy with a tampon can stop a bad guy with a tampon

Inside Texas’ state legislature (yesterday), loaded guns are fairly common. As the New York Times reported in March …. but as debate begins in the state Senate on sweeping restrictions to reproductive rights, tampons are being confiscated. No, seriously.

…. Apparently, conservatives believe progressive activists will, after the vote, throw tampons at Republican state lawmakers who approve the bill. So, anything that “can be thrown at” the senators is being confiscated before citizens can enter the gallery.

Sometimes the war on women is offensive, and sometimes, it’s just farcical. When tampons are considered more dangerous than loaded firearms, I think it’s safe to say Texas Republicans have gone off the deep end.

Margaret, last night there was a rally at the Texas State Capitol to let Rick Perry and the Republican controlled house and Senate know that Texas women have had enough of this backward ass war on women. And do you know what those crazy asshats did? They confiscated everyone’s feminine hygiene napkins at the door. Now there is some good bullshit if you ask me.

As God as my witness, you could legally carry a concealed weapon into the Texas Capitol but you had to surrender your tampons. I can only assume the Texas legislators… I guess Rick Perry decided… The State Troopers.. You know what, Margaret? For the first time in my life I’m speechless. What in God’s name has gotten into these yahoos?

…. If you’ve been following Capitol Hill politics at all, you know that Republican senators have held up an inordinate number of Obama’s judicial- and especially executive-branch appointees. Look at some numbers. On judges, Obama has gotten 81 percent of his nominations confirmed. Bill Clinton got 82 percent. But George Bush got 94 percent. In other words, the Democrats were less obstructionist toward him than the Republicans were toward the last two Democratic presidents.

On executive nominations, the numbers are far more striking. By the July 4 recess, the Senate of this current Congress had confirmed 34 Obama nominees. In a parallel time frame in the middle of Bush’s presidency, the Senate sent 118 Bush nominees through ….

NYT: As the House of Representatives considers an overhaul of immigration laws, it is clear that the members represent very different slices of the country, depending on their political party. Districts represented by Democrats are, together, only slightly more than half white and nearly one quarter Hispanic. Republican districts are roughly three-quarters white, and only one in nine residents is Hispanic.

****

****

The Hill: The investigator who found the IRS targeted conservative groups withheld key information from Congress, the top Democrat on the House Oversight Committee charged Friday.

Rep. Elijah Cummings (D-Md.) says Treasury’s inspector general for tax administration, Russell George, failed to disclose that his staff found no evidence of political motivation in scrutiny the IRS gave to some groups seeking tax exempt status even after sifting through thousands of emails of IRS employees.

Cummings also says that newly discovered documents show that liberal groups and organizations related to the Occupy movement were supposed to be sent to the same section at the IRS that examined Tea Party applications. George wrote to two Democratic lawmakers in recent weeks that conservative groups were more likely to be specially examined for political activity than liberal groups.

Caroline Kennedy, the daughter of former U.S. President John F. Kennedy, will become the first female U.S. ambassador to Japan, according to several sources in the Japanese and U.S. governments.

…. The U.S. government’s vetting process into Kennedy’s financial assets and her ties with Japan is believed to have been completed by July 12. A formal announcement of her appointment is expected soon.

More here

****

On this day….

July 13, 2009: President Obama tosses a ball after meeting with 2008 MLS Cup Champions the Columbus Crew in the Rose Garden (Photo: Pete Souza)

July 13, 2009: President Obama with senior staff in the Outer Oval Office – from left are Nancy-Ann DeParle, Peter Orszag, Phil Schiliro and Larry Summers (Photo: Pete Souza)

July 13, 2010: President Obama talks with Jack Lew after he announced Lew’s nomination to replace Peter Orszag as director of the Office of Management and Budget (Photo: Pete Souza)

That shameful picture of all of these troopers (they look like gang-rapers) surrounding, holding down and handcuffing small women who are exercising their constitutional right should be sent around the world via every type of media available. How can this country hold its head up and talk to other countries about human rights abuses when this is going on? I am sick to my heart and stomach and having flashbacks. My God, what kind of country is this? It also does not matter that the troopers were under orders; they had a choice in refusing to obey an order that is morally wrong. We did not take the excuse “I was following orders” from the Nazi’s and we should not accept from anyone who participates in something that is unjust. How will they be able to look into the eyes of their daughters, sisters, wives, mothers, and girlfriends?
The female trooper’s presence cuts even deeper.

Hiya UT, there really is a no going back feel to it all, and I loved how all of you involved in this were so defiant after the vote – they have no clue what they have stirred. If you would like to post anything today on what’s going on, please feel free! Thanks UT.

It feels like being a woman in this country is a crime. From the Supreme Court to a plethora of states, our rights are being steadily eroded. We’re basically being assaulted just because we’re female. Some days, one just wants to scream for hours on end.

Welcome to Iowa where men (PIGS) who can't control their erections can legally fire women for being "too attractive." http://t.co/351PyKtWKL

It is like our grandmothers & their mothers fought for rights that are now being taken away – one state at a time. I think you and the other TODers are wonderful fighting every step of the way UT – but it will need a massive vote from women at the polls to let women be free to lead their lives. It is hard to believe this is happening in the USA – so called the world’s leader in democracy.

Interesting that the media – the likes of the WHPC and GG himself – are only interested in attacking the President in relation to security issues yet they see nothing wrong with starving people to death, condemning women to be barefoot and pregnant and ensuring black teenagers take their lives in their hands whenever they walk unarmed down the street. There is nothing pro-life about the GOP – and the same can be said for their BFF the US media.

Me too. I am 63. I burned my bra figuratively in the 70’s! I thought we had won some of the fights. I now know that not until this President were we guaranteed equal pay for equal work. Now other rights are being turned backwards and I am mad, sad, and tired.

Charlie Pierce was on the Stephanie Miller show the other day and he says there’s a new ‘normal’ – we cannot assume for a second that anything is safe. Everything we see as common sense rights and protections are under constant assault. If they really can pervert Roe v. Wade and push it to virtual extinction, we can never assume that Medicare and Social Security are safe. Holy shit, food stamp funding was removed from the House farm bill!

The lazy left caused this by believing that there were lines they would not cross. Instead, the complacency of Dem’s empowered them and now we’re at the point of this country completely falling off a cliff.

Sometimes I’ll get a lecture here when I say I’m tired. But if we can’t vent our exhaustion here, then where can we? Especially at our age! Doesn’t mean we’re not going to fight, it just means we’re frustrated and exhausted.

I asked my husband, who listens to Alex Jones (don’t ask), what does he think about what’s going on in the Texas leges and women’s rights being taken over…he said, well AJ doesn’t believe in abortion, and I said — he doesn’t have to believe in abortion, he just has to believe in a woman’s right to choose. He said, well he’s not focused on that, he’s more focused on the global elite and what our government is doing. And I said — look at what our government is doing to half the population! What happens to women affects EVERYONE.
Ughhhh, can someone help me with this — what are some things I can show him or tell him so that he doesn’t believe all this hype about Snowden, and the guy that was busted for Magic mushrooms and open carry in DC..(David Kokesh or something like that).
You all are so articulate and knowledgeable…I just can’t seem to get the message across.

Wouldnt it be nice it the women put all that pent up energy to get petition signatures, recalls or just pledges to vote and work for change. They would lots of into to start working on it. I havent see any of this kind of actions.

You haven’t been watching Texas?? but in addition – so many women are exhausted from simply surviving every single day – be it long hours working, providing for their children or being ill without decent health care.

“Knight and his wife believed that his attraction to Nelson — two decades younger than the dentist — had become a threat to their marriage. Nelson, now 33, was replaced by another woman; Knight had an all-female staff.”

Hmmm, let’s see, his wife is worried that his attraction had become a threat to their marriage…so that’s the woman’s fault because the wife’s stupid husband can’t control himself. I’d say she should probably divorce him, but she won’t because then there goes her meal ticket.
I’m really tired of women berating other women and allowing men to walk all over us. We are all sisters — we should be sticking up for EACH OTHER.

“After the final vote, Dewhurst appeared tearful as he called on the senators and activists for and against the legislation to come together despite the differences that have separated them in recent weeks.

He said he prayed for them “not to forget to love each other as Christ loved the church and as we love all those unborn babies.”
——————

What a LOAD of horse****. These people believe in Christ like most people believe in Santa Claus or the Tooth Fairy.

or women, or non-white men and women, or the working poor, or the unemployed, or those who are sick and have no health care. They care about money and control – there is no “god” in their lives – they are not Christians.

As Dewhurst leads the way to cut all funding, support and education for those precious unborn babies.

Is dewhurst going to care for those babies through their lives? Is he going to support a family if the mother dies.

It’s manslaughter.

The abortions that are necessary after 21 weeks are because of severe, life-threatening or life-of-misery defects or the life of the mother. These are babies that women wanted, and have to make horrific decisions. The notion that these are all lazy women who find out they’ll get fat and get swollen ankles from pregnancy and decide to abort, is ludicrous and a complete lie.

57 – you have had some wonderful posts over the past few days – I have been completely lost for words – this is not the US that I have supported for so many years – but you have fully explained the reality that GOP legislatures refuse to see. NO woman – absolutely NONE would want to abort a babe after 20 weeks unless there were serious issues with the babe or the mother. Doctors, using modern diagnosis make these decisions. The GOP legislatures have NO idea whatsoever about the reality of what they are doing.

I wish the Democratic Party would be screaming about this. I do get emails – but they need to seize the outrage, frame is viscerally, and lead the fight. Republicans can manufacture outrage out of nothing, and we don’t know how to look like a committed, organized force when there is real reason for outrage. grrr…….

And again…and again…and again…It’s literally their bread and butter. Those folks that were so angry when then-Candidate Obama said they were bitter and clung to their guns and religion hated hearing the truth. He tells it like it is, and they don’t like that.

Maybe we can have our own Rallies now, bc all these Abortion bills all over the country are pissing of the wrong People.
This is the Evangelicals and there doing, they are pushing for this in desperation bc they keep losing national elections.

When some woman dies because of this legislation, Perry and the TX government should be sued for manslaughter.

I’m not kidding. They are demanding BY LAW that a woman be denied lifesaving care or be forced to give birth to a child with horrific birth defects. That is cruelty and there should be lawsuits to that effect. Those children should be the personal responsibility of Rick Perry, criminally and in terms of support.

The entire Democratic party should be out there yelling about this, framing this. As an institution of strength. This is a REAL death panel with Republican-led governments crawling into the doctor-patient relationship.

Wilbon and Kornheiser both used to write for the Washington Post…..two of the best sports personalities in the business. They still have homes in D.C. …..One of President Obama’s favorite shows is Pardon the Interruption (ESPN 5:00PM Weekdays) I remember last year he surprised them, and taped a segment congratulating them for their 10th anniversary show. Kornheiser has one of the best sports talk radio shows in the business. I bet they are playing gold b/c yesterday was Tony’s 65th B-day, and Wilbon has known PBO for a long time due to his Chicago roots.

I love Schweitzer. Love his enthusiasm, his love of his state. But whatever decision he made, it’s best for him. DC can be a soul-killing place.

The upside is that there are several female Dem politicians who now have a great opportunity. (Sorry I can’t remember their names… @MTMarilyn2 has posted about them. So we’ll get to meet and root for them!

I would love Schweitzer to get on full bore supporting POTUS, then run for the office himself. Would LOVE it!

Dems need to understand the value of Mudcat Saunders, who understand non-urban Dems, the salt-of-the-earth. I was disappointed that he no longer commands any MSM attention, but he’s a valuable resource.

Maybe next year POTUS will be fly-fishing in Montana during August vacation, instead of cooling his heels in tony Martha’s Vineyard. Nothing against Massachusetts, but love Montana, and hope his girls are reminded again of its beauty.

Just a few months after leaving the State Department, Hillary Rodham Clinton has plunged into the lucrative world of paid speechmaking, joining a branch of the family business that has brought the Clintons more than $100 million since her husband left the White House in 2001.

For about $200,000, Hillary Clinton will offer wonky reflections and Mitch Albom-style lessons from her time as the nation’s top diplomat. (“Leadership is a team sport.” “You can’t win if you don’t show up.” “A whisper can be louder than a shout.”)

She sticks around for handshakes and picture-taking, but the cost of travel, and whether a private jet is provided, must be negotiated as part of her fee.

The $200,000 she commands appears to be comparable to what Bill Clinton receives for speeches delivered in this country, although the former president – who earned $17 million from speeches last year – has collected much more outside the United States, including the $700,000 he was paid when he spoke to a company in Lagos, Nigeria.

Convention organizers are eager to pay Hillary Clinton, and, since leaving office in February, she has embarked on a packed schedule of events for groups like the American Society of Travel Agents and the National Association of Realtors.

The senior administration officials are optimistic that this kind of precise, locally based campaign will successfully enroll the proper ratio of healthy young people to older sicker people to ensure that coverage is affordable. But they also believe that the enemies of Obamacare may be its best friends, as the hyperbole surrounding the law has lowered expectations so much for so many people, that when they don’t see the death panel and instead find subsidized coverage for their pre-existing conditions, they will shed their inhibitions to reform.